North Korean leader Kim Jong un is once again using fiery rhetoric aimed at President Trump he warns of having a new strategic weapon but for Kim's language be taken at face value Here's v.o.a. Correspondent Bill Gallo in Seoul in his annual New Year's Day comments Kim Jong un announced he is no longer bound by his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear on long range missile tests it is the clearest indication yet that North Korea may soon resume major provocations but although Kim's speech was full of threats most came with conditions suggesting North Korea is still open to talking Kim wants the United States to relax sanctions he also wants a formal end to joint military exercises with South Korea and no more advanced weapons sales between the 2 countries speaking late Tuesday Trump appeared to downplay the importance of Kim's threats saying his relationship with Kim remains very good that was be always Bill Gallo in Seoul South Korea President Trump says he'll sign what is called Phase one of a China trade deal into weeks series a.p. Correspondent Jackie Quinn the u.s. Has agreed to reduce tariffs on China and China has agreed to buy larger quantities of u.s. Bar products like soybeans the China deal will be signed probably January 15th although it leaves the thornier trade issues for future talks President Trump says it is an agreement I'll be going at some point to Beijing to be with President Xi we have a great relationship and we'll be doing something reciprocal economists at the Federal Reserve reported that all of the u.s. Tariffs led to job losses and higher costs for manufacturers but the agreement has helped calm concerns in the financial markets Jackie Quinn Washington it is called intermittent fasting the latest weight loss method gaining its 15 minutes of fame a.p. Correspondent Shelley Adler reports 1st a very is a nutrition professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago she studied intermittent fasting for. Teen years looking at the fire and it can help people lose weight and so it produces basically hard protective effect but also help lower diabetes ref I think in general that the plan a good diet because you take in less calories if you want to lose weight the main thing you have to look at it calories even if you're eating like started say that they want everything like we got hold of the whole time if you're like limiting At 1000 calories you'll probably you'll still lose weight obesity experts note a limited number of small studies suggest Intermittent Fasting may not be any better for weight loss than conventional calorie counting over the long term actually ampler More news at the away News dot com There is also a convenient easy to use mobile app Gene Randall for your news. This is these are great radios Good morning world. And your host Larry London Hi this is Larry London I welcome you to border crossings today we have a very special show in store for you for the next hour today we're turning back the hands of time and we're looking back at some of the biggest and best moments in border crossings history the program is 20 years young and so it's my pleasure to bring you some of the highlights from the last 20 years of border crossings we'll be talking this hour with the Black Eyed Peas beyond say Katy Perry Jason Derulo Lady Gaga Taylor Swift Chris Brown One Direction Aretha Franklin some of the biggest stars and they will shine right here on border crossing so let's go back and relive some of the highlights it's the best of border crossings Hi this is Larry London from the Voice of America and we're here at the Verizon Center in Washington and sitting across from me is one of the most beautiful absolutely gorgeous talented young ladies in the world of entertainment show business beyond say welcome to Washington d.c. Thank you it's such an honor to have you here on The Voice of America 1st of all I mean how's the tour going the tour is going so well it's one of my my my favorite tours I've been on a lot it's always maybe 9 or 10 and I don't know if it's because I have an author email band and if it's just all a death email in and we're having so much fun and you know I've been kind are running out of pool parties and skating rinks and we've been really enjoying ourselves and I've been from Japan to all over Europe and now I'm in America and I've met some amazing people and is just is really been a blast you know what is the feeling like for you when you're on stage in Japan where they don't speak English but they know all the words to your song is fascinating and you know every time I'm in a different country I'm a little afraid maybe this isn't gonna work maybe they won't know this song. Maybe they won't understand this dance or whatever it is is a fascinating to see how music is something that is so universal and is the language that we all speak and it doesn't matter if they all speak English they somehow know every melody and every lyric to the songs and it's so beautiful to watch you know looking back did you ever imagine you'd be where you are today I mean you're growing up in Texas you started a band you are a dancer and a singer as a little girl and now you've got your businesswoman I mean you've got House of Darien which is a very successful clothing line movie career music career I mean do you ever stop and say wow is this really going on absolutely when I was a little girl I never ever imagined that I would have this career and because it was so far away I came from Houston Texas and was in many arm be pop stars from Houston Texas so it just felt like it wasn't you know it was just a dream and slowly career has just grown and blossomed and it wasn't something that happened overnight and I'm happy I'm grateful for that because I've been able to prepare myself slowly is that of just waking up and becoming a celebrity's just kind of grew with me so I've been able to handle things a little different from a lot of other celebrities but I still offer good famous and I forget sometimes like how just go driving I go to a store and I'm like What am I think it might be proper. To do this anymore broadcast all around the world in 60 countries and to the troops as well is there something you'd like to say to the men and women in the Middle East right now absolutely I'd like to say thank you and I'd like to say that my your bravery and your strength and integrity and we can't wait for you to come home God bless you are praying for you thank you very much beyond thank. See. There's another. First of all congratulations on the success of the new album Monkey Business platinum or and soon to be you know double platinum you've closed in on 10000000 records we're talking of Black Eyed Peas Welcome to Washington thank you thanks for having us here much well you guys are the hottest thing in music right now congratulations on the m.t.v. Europe award you just picked up best pop group yes it was very exciting was such a surprise that I took my purse up on stage. But I wouldn't expect to win now and now I had heard that to. You were working on a solo album Fergie is that true we're all working on solo projects yeah we're taking out January February to work on that. Next year and you guys have been on tour for what seems to be close to a year now you've just joined the grants to funny to run your own tour and I guess you're going back to Europe in probably another month I read somewhere like. 6. $198.00 constantly which took one year off to do which is our 3rd record and with this other goal and it's fun because we get to be best friends get to visit different countries that we never imagined would be like Vietnam and Philippines so it's just beautiful it's a beautiful experience Voice of America broadcasts all around the world around the Middle East Africa Europe Asia one of the unique things about The Voice of America were heard by the troops who are listening to us in Iraq and I want to give you an opportunity if there's anything you'd like to say to address perhaps the military men and women who are listening right now to the military this is for you. With the Black Eyed Peas and we just want to send a message out thank you so much for all your hard work out there thank you and congratulations to you guys continued success monkey business. Thank you the only Lol. Lol. And across from me is not only one of the most beautiful ladies in music but certainly one of most talented and definitely trendsetting would like to welcome a key period with a voice thank you so much I'm very happy to be here with all y'all that are listening and watching I thank you for having me on I got to ask you with the 1st question is how does someone go from recording a gospel album into into the world of pop. Well yeah a lot of people ask that question because there it is definitely a different. Hop skip and jump away from what where I started but when I made my gospel record I was 15 and I was. Still kind of under my parents' household and beyond that that was the only thing that really mattered to me at that moment as a 15 year old young lady and so I sang about that and that was the only thing I knew I didn't really have any other social life or didn't know pop culture because growing up I grew up with 2 ministers as parents. To parents as ministers and so everything was really related to faith and so you know and actually saying about what I knew which was that and then. You know I didn't have a very very short lived kind of career if you would even call it a career maybe a couple months Currier in the gospel music industry that didn't last long I wanted to be successful but unfortunately my record label that signed me there they went under and so did my record so thus far I was not Amy Grant. So I just wanted to keep making music and I moved away from home when I was 17 with the blessing of my parents lost Angeles and I started working with this producer named Glen Ballard who is a who is a lovely producer he produced Jagged Little Pill for this large set and naturally I just started to kind of grow up you know and see things in my life for the 1st time without any rules or regulations not that I went crazy about it but I just started singing about what I was going through without blinders I guess and I've started to become this sponge and just soak everything up and you know I never put any kind of limitations on what I should say when I'm writing a song and I you know I just have lived such a a full life already I think and I think about kind of just you know the emotional roller coaster of a young 17 to 23 year old woman and how does it feel for you when you go on to. Sure internationally you perform somewhere like Japan where they don't speak English but they know all the words to Katy Perry so right I'm like I feel like an English teacher in some way. Well it's one of those things that is really probably the most surprising to me because. I mean I hope that I would catch that lucky star but I didn't know it would be like a worldwide thing long and I didn't know that. If I went to a small place in Germany if I went to another place in Japan are. Mexico that everybody would say and. I'm just happy that that they are alone and you know I know that you're going on stage in a few minutes so I want to give you a chance to say hi to the troops Yeah you know one of those I know that they support your music I get a lot of e-mail from them to really Katy Perry songs Yes Oh thank you guy to the troops of course you're huge with everybody. You know the troops are also watching and listening well. All I want to say to them is take care of yourselves because I would love to me here and thank you for doing an incredible job and protecting the people we love and. You know you you know even though you might seem like you're millions of miles away everyone is thinking about here you're always at the forefront of our minds so yeah I just come back in one piece place I would love to thank you Katy Perry the obvious one of the boys and she is truly a superstar and she's going to be here for a long time to come so thank you kindly thank you very much for being a part of the Voice of America thank you. Read. Larry London Jingle Ball the coolest guy on the planet right here talk dirty doing so well what a great year you've had Jason Derulo welcome to Voice of America thank you so much yet just this year has been a total world women and you know where we're here at the ball and the d.c. And it's amazing because a site like celebration especially because you know I harden all the fans have made me the most played male artist in 2014. So definitely yes thank you thank you to all the fans that you know i Heart Radio forever I heard you being interviewed and somebody asked you you said Jason Derulo in a lot of your songs and you promise not to do that anymore in the future what not said for me to sing it and nobody else will see how you can personally you know what like Oprah with. Snow said my name I don't like x. On the same ever for talk dirty that I have a difference who has. A person every broad and we write an Asian friend of ours and should you know she she was just like ad libbing all along with a track and she said Jason I was like oh just. Put it in so you can just kind of just happens by me actually saying in my name that probably will happen and I know Trump is doing very well for you what's the next single off you we've done 5 already I think something good and other one for the 25th yes so I am working on new music now which I'm really excited about yeah and I think we ran the album The yeah how's your neck doing that's I mean that's important I ask because I know you broke your neck a few years ago yeah it's totally good it's like a bad dream and you know. Something happened that I was able to learn from and grow from look at look at the outcome and you know I was it was a crazy time and during that time I wrote all of the songs and. By them saying I was off to talk to you later so you know I was this is crazy everything happens for a reason my last and I want to give you a chance the height of the worldwide audience they support you they love you I get a lot of e-mail from thank you so much you know for all the support thank you for requesting my songs on the radio Jason Derulo the man talk dirty This is the Voice of America. Thanks much. Larry London is take you back to our best interviews on border crossing Hi this is Larry London from the Voice of America and that we've been talking about this now for several weeks and finally the moment is here we're very very excited to welcome to our worldwide audience a young lady who has collected 3 number one hits this past year on her way to number 4 from her debut album we've got Lady Gaga Hi welcome to Washington thank you yeah I'm really excited to be here what an unbelievable year with the 3 number one songs off the debut album soon to be your 4th proper Razzi which is on track to be number one again very very soon and with news this past week that billboard is going to honor you with the women of the Year dinner that they're having. I just can't believe that I was there with a life changing error and I just kind of pray every day say thanks far all the things that have come my way and the Rising Star award is a very big deal. You know I was with a girl from New York that wanted to make her dad proud and that's been a lot why then I think you know has music always been in the plan for you is this what you kind of always dreamed of doing and you're just living your dream or is this all a surprise to you know definitely I mean I've been playing piano since I was 4 and been studying whether it was in music classes I was in jazz band or writing music and around 14 I started to play out and local clubs my mother would take me and sign me up on the open mike night. Play a little song that I had written and then I kind of felt confidence and I started going out more and more and doing that and when I went to college signing started a band. We were touring and then lie. Down I mean did say I could tell the story forever but really it's just that I never gave up and music's have always been my destiny and one of the refreshing things about you is that you're very sincere you're the real deal I mean you are in the original and you are who you are and you're not affected by what other people say or whatever you know you just put yourself out there the costumes the outfits that you put on you know are just amazing you know every everyone is better than the one before it how can you continue to outdo yourself. Well I'm really blessed to have some. Friends and they stick by me and I've always stuck by them and I think that that's why we've kind of had the cultural response is because I've never moved beyond what I know and love just because I sold some records didn't mean that I left my friends behind I always brought them with me check or out it Lady Gaga who's a special guest here on The Voice of America on their way to for number one hits with a debut album and I want to give you a chance to say hi to the troops who are too good right now around the world as well as they love your music again lots of e-mail I love us here so just look at the caring sent a Little Lady Gaga. Well hello to all the troops are working so hard to keep us all safe I love you so much and your work as so greatly appreciated by all of us. Live . Check out this previously recorded interview with today's hottest artists Hi this is Larry London at the Voice of America were backstage in the Merryweather Post Pavilion which is in Columbia and sitting across from me is the hottest singer in not only country music but you know last year's top selling female artist on the Billboard charts we'd like to welcome Taylor Swift to the Voice of America welcome Ok it's great to have you on the show and it's great to have you here in the Washington d.c. Area how does it feel so far on the very 1st headlining tour how's things going it's been awesome on my 1st headlining tour I've never been happier you know opening up for people for 3 years it's like you learn so many things that you'd love to do if you were ever to go out by yourself and getting to incorporate all of those things into a show it just makes me so happy it makes me so happy to be out there knowing that every single person in the audience you know bought a ticket with my name on it it's pretty exciting Who are your real role models my role models are people like Garth Brooks and Faith Hill. I just love the fact that they're so nice to people and they're so good to their fans you know you grow up and you have your favorite singers and then when you meet all of them that list kind of shifts to the people who are great people 1st and great musicians 2nd I've always aspired to be a great person 1st and I also agree had some dating advice too or at least for guys that were interested in you and this was to other girls about you know x. Number of if they text you know you don't tend to respond a certain number of text and don't call him back if he calls more than once or something like that ever it's just a self-preservation thing like if a guy if you text a guy and he doesn't text you back don't text then again I don't know like a lot of girls do that and they're like maybe he didn't get my taxes like no he got it he just didn't text me back so don't don't be desperate and every text twice in or out like I just never I never like to call or text twice in or out. Just because . You know you kind of learn along the way that that's not the way to go Taylor Swift thank you so much for being our guest on The Voice of America be troops around a national audience are in love with you and your music and the next album Thank You Thank You. The key that. The next. List that's. How this. Can make is good. And our. Lives. This is. What killed. The sets. a daydream. And I'll. Only. Say. This so. And. Here's another classic border crossings interview with Larry La Rio a one. We're back stage here at. Howard University in downtown Washington d.c. And sitting across from me is the hottest man in music Welcome to the Voice of America Chris Brown thank you for having me here it's great to have you here Chris now congratulations on all the things you've been winning every award that exists you got this year and now a.o.l. Music's 2121 oh you have when does it stop don't stop got to keep back yeah well congratulations I heard that the debut album is gone platinum Oh yes but that's going to be and the tour is going well oiled one incredibly well and tonight you've got a big show here in the d.c. Definitely him when they were doing the sound check I was listening I heard you were doing a Michael Jackson song You and I also heard you in your news conference talking about Michael Jackson influencing your dancing yet so he sounds like he's a party to the year when I gave This is our little eyes the wide Michael So who else who else influences a Sam Cooke is Michael Jackson and could list them coal school for my grandma Now you started singing when you were what 11 when I was about 11 but dancing you were doing that a long time ever since I was 2 and how did you get interested in dance of Somehow I'd love to do and you did it by watching watching t.v. Just learn t.v. Theme people dance going to cookouts and he would then love him music and one of the death music and you grew up here in a Virginia area and yeah I grew up in these it's like coming home you see it all the family and friends all year at school so we're broadcasting all around the world and the troops are also you know tuning in right now to Chris Brown I get a lot of e-mail requests for your losing and you know on my show and I know they love your music they love the album and I want to get a chance to say hi to the men and women in Iraq and Afghanistan that are watching Afghanistan and Iraq all the chips are down want to thank you for the support as well as our bravery and and carefulness care there and make it so yeah I do this when you have family protecting the country and I think so I love you I think after that to up to down in a bit aka Charlie Brown 1st right here if I thank you Chris Brown thank you so much thank you education or. I think. The best of border crossings be a way one. Way This is a border crossing special with our interview. This is Larry Lerner we're downtown in Fairfax Virginia and sitting across the hottest guy in the hottest band we've got the harry harry styles from one direction who is here in d.c. Welcome to d.c. Thank you very much for having us it's great to have you guys here to 1st of all the obvious question is I mean how has all of this stuff affected you in the last year I mean you guys are now reviving boy bands and the British Invasion again so how's that hitting you yeah. I think you know we're just normal lads now we're no more teenage guys so for this to be happening that is absolutely crazy where having so much fun we work so so so we play out as well so we have a lot of fun as how does the comparison to the Beatles affect you because I know Sir Paul McCartney recently said something in an interview that to be careful about those comparisons thing I think that is trail I think you know a lot of people aim to be stuff like that in the next bales and I think if you base your career on trying to achieve someone else's goals then I think that's kind of the wrong way to do it thank you Harry thank you so much one direction the Voice of America and we're here with the band in Fairfax. Coming up. You're listening to the best of border crossing. Voice of America in Washington the queen Aretha Franklin thank you so much it's wonderful to have you in our studios here in d.c. And faith has always been a very large part of your life and you grew up your father you know was a reverend and his own church and of course you are you saying gospel music when you 1st started That's right and I traveled with him for many years and you released a gospel album of a few years back as well I guess on the chess label that's right when I was 14 you know few years ago and I think just so you know I mean if you were making music what do you think you'd be doing if I weren't making music what I we do I know well I had. Thought of being. I Florence Nightingale my mother was a nurse and so I considered that and executive secretary I can say to that and the prima ballerina ballet that's fantastic Yes I took some classes and New York over at the east. On Madison Avenue with the academy a ballet. And Arthur Mitchell had some classes with myself and he gave me some of those that I was having a little trouble with at the academy and I learned them just like that you know it's wonderful I'm glad that you did get into music there's so many people who have been touched by your your music over the years I was looking and you have 20 Grammys and that's just it's unfathomable to have 20 Grammys that it was a form that it is wonderful it's a wonderful feeling it I mean do you does anyone stand out more than another in your mind I mean was there one in particular that no they owe you just felt wonderful being receiving each of them. Who is it the Pink Panther you know who I mean the producer of the song The Pink Panther I mean seen it man seen a man seen he has 24 well you know I mean you have obviously made a significant impact into music is there one moment that stands out in your mind above other moments as being kind of a defining point for Rita Franklin You said you know that you were satisfied that you finally looked in the mirror and said You know I've arrived but to begin with when you make the cover of the jet you've arrived for me. Coming up coming up when you make the cover of the jet you have a wry Yeah well you're a you know I guess Billboard named you one of the top 20 most influential artist of all time Rolling Stone in 2004 you were in the top 5 yes you know most influential powerful artist of all time and of course later on as a more mature adult you realize the importance of Billboard and Playboy and other various industry magazine. That are really important what kind of advice would you give to somebody who's starting now get the diploma get the paper behind you because. Getting in the music industry is not a picnic it's not going to be a picnic of the few artists become stars overnight and. Become astound always mang Tang's rather maintaining your natural beauty whatever it is you have to offer as a person maintaining that don't become a star on u b r I Well you've been listening to the best of border crossings and I want to thank all of the record labels who've made all of the interviews possible with some of the great guests we've had over the course of the last 20 years Black Eyed Peas beyond say Katy Perry Jason Derulo Lady Gaga Taylor Swift Chris Brown One Direction Aretha Franklin and there's many more to come so thank you so much for listening to our show border crossings be sure to tell your friends about us I want to thank our executive producer Nick Marks who put the show together today our director has been Vince Vaughn or funny name is Larry London and I will see you soon with more order crossings on the v.o.a. One music network. This is the only news I'm Gene Randall hundreds of thousands of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong market today adding to the civil unrest that engulfed the Chinese semi-autonomous territory for much of 2019 City Police fired tear gas and pepper spray to chase crowds that have put up barricades on the Carlin district authorities said they detained some 400 people for unlawful assembly and carrying weapons against the backdrop of a continuing standoff with u.s. President Donald Trump North Korean leader Kim Jong un is once again using bellicose language warning he is ready to unveil a new strategic weapon kins end of the year deadline for a new talks with Washington has come and gone but has not put new meaning into his latest threats Here's v.o.a. Correspondent Bill Gallo in Seoul in his annual New Year's Day comments Kim Jong un and then once he is no longer bound by his self-imposed moratorium on nuclear or long range missile tests it is the clearest indication yet that North Korea may soon resume may.